October 15-Baptism and Young Visitors

Dear Family and Friends,                                                      

                       

            How are you all? We think of you often out here in Nauvoo. We are still very busy, even though the crowds have lessened. We have many tour groups coming here by buses, and we had many young families from Arizona, Utah and Idaho, who are on a Fall break. We are very busy in the Visitors’ Center, and in the historical sites, because in the last month we have lost 80 missionaries who went home. Many of the sites are “shared” with others, so 2 missionaries go between 2 or 3 other sites. It has been very confusing, but we are all trying to figure it out. We definitely miss those missionaries who have gone. They became our good friends. There are only about 8 remaining couples who were here before our MTC group came out in March. We passed the 7-month mark on Oct. 10. However, last week 6 new couples have joined us so that really helps.

            I had a great experience coming out of church a week ago. A woman (Sharon) in the Nauvoo Ward passed me, and caught me, because she wanted to invite me to her mother’s (Patricia) baptism the next Saturday. She had moved out here from California to live with her daughter, and was taking the missionary lessons. Patricia had many questions, so she came to the Visitors’ Center, and I sat and spoke with her on the couch for about half an hour, and tried to answer them. When she decided to get baptized, Patricia asked her daughter to find me, and make sure I was there. I felt honored to be part of her conversion, and I went to her baptism. It really touched me that even though she is 80 yrs. old, and 3 men had to lift her down into the water to baptize her. She really wanted to be baptized.

Our friends, the Linfords, came to visit.

            One of the new couples is Elder Doug Brinley and Sister Brinley. They are from Provo, and well known at BYU and Education Week as speakers. Elder Brinley taught marriage and family relations classes at BYU, and has written many books. He is one of our three zone leaders, and will eventually be a counselor to President Gibbons, who requested him. He has been teaching us classes for the past three weeks, on how strengthen marriage, and we are grateful to have them here.

            We have been working on some big projects coming up. I have been planning a large Thanksgiving event on November 22^nd, to welcome less actives and nonmembers from the stake, to come to Nauvoo. They will have wagon rides, visit the sites, and have a big Thanksgiving dinner that afternoon. We are trying to help stake members realize that this city is a great missionary tool and testimony-building place. We are expecting about 100-150 persons. Please pray for our success.

            Also, last week we had our first practice for the big “Miracle of Christmas” concert which we are doing on December 20^th and 21^st at the Stake Center. We sent the word out to invite singers from the Stake and the City. We had 75 people show up! We were so excited. We had an orientation, and went through the music. We also will have a children’s chorus of about 30 singers. The Nauvoo orchestra will also accompany us. By the way, Elder Schultz played the standup bass in their concert last Saturday. It was really quite good. We have been working extra hours on publicity materials, making music folders, and visiting the ministers and Catholic school to recruit children. We are getting excited to see it take shape, and we pray that it will be a success and great unifier for this community. President Gibbons is behind this event and very supportive.

Dad playing in the Nauvoo orchestra concert

            This coming week we have a Mission Presidents Training Seminar here in Nauvoo. Elder L. Tom Perry and 6 members of the Seventies are coming to train 35 Mission Presidents and their wives. They have asked us all to help escort them, and even provide dinner for them. Elder Schultz has been asked by President Gibbons to drive the general authorities around. We are very excited to help them in any way we can.

            We would like to introduce you to Keegan (left) and Donnie (right). They remind me of Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. We met these 2 stepbrothers in the summer when they came into the Visitors' Center. They have a sad home life. Nonmembers who live summer with a stepmother and winters with an uncle (Donnie) and grandparents (Keegan).

            We have grown to love them and they adore Dad. We haven’t seen them since summer so we were excited when they came in yesterday. Their stepmom just lets them wander the town and area and they are always dirty and sometimes shoeless. Dad really “cares” about them and took them on a wagon ride, gives them candy etc. They were standing by the door to his priesthood class waiting for him to come out. I went home and fixed them food and brought it down to the Visitors' Center cause they said they were hungry. Hug and love to your children and be thankful they are growing up in loving homes.

            I want to express to all of you how wonderful it is to be here in Nauvoo on a mission. Words can’t describe the feelings of waking up each morning in this beautiful, sacred city, and to serve in the homes and shops of those great valiant pioneers. We have grown close to them by telling their life stories, and bearing testimony of their sacrifices and faith. We surely love you all, and look forward to seeing you in the future. May God bless all of you!                                                     

Love Elder and Sister Schultz

            

June 21, 2014 Zenta's baptism, Rendezvous & surprise Whiting cousins

Hi Friends and Family, 

I can't believe how fast time flies! We have been out here 3 months- we reported here to the mission on March 21. We are super busy right now because summer is here and visitors to Nauvoo are coming in record numbers! We average 1,000-2,000 people per day in the visitors center. It is hard to talk to everyone that needs help to know where to go and what to see and do. The young single sister missionaries help us each day.

     Last Saturday I had the privilege of going to Zenta Logan's baptism. I drove over to Burlington Iowa, about an hour away with 5 senior single sisters. 2 are from California; Laguna Hills, and Hunt. Beach. Their husbands have passed away. We had a lot of fun with just "the girls". Zenta was so excited to see us all there to support her. Many of the local ward sisters were there too. She is a single sister with one son, and some of her friends were there too. It was very spiritual and a special experience. We felt honored to be part of it, and be invited to it.

     This past week, Harry and I had our debut performance for our Rendezvous vignette. I was very nervous because both shows (7pm and 8:15pm) were full! We did fine, and remembered all of our lines. We only perform it once a week, and another couple has the part the other day. Twice a week we also perform in the Sunset by The Mississippi show on the outdoor stage as a specialty number. Harry plays bass, with a guitar and banjo backup, while we sing a duet. He also tells funny jokes. People seem to love his act, because they love to laugh! We will only do this show until Aug. 9, that is when the summer season ends, and the Young Performing Missionaries leave. And we do our vignette only six months, so none of you will see us when you come out next year. That's kind of sad. But we are sure having fun, and enjoying this mission.

     I had a neat experience 2 days ago. I went to land and records here to find information on my ancestors who lived here; Edwin Whiting on my mother's side, and the Hyrum Smith's on my father's side. A young girl there who was also doing research, heard me say Whitings. She asked what family I was from, and I said Edwin Marion Whiting, and she said, "Me too!' (that's unusual because Edwin had five wives.) We were from the same wife, and same son. And my grandmother, Martha is the sister of her great grandfather, Lynn Whiting. What a small world! She is here for the Nauvoo Dig- they are digging the area where they believe Joseph Smith Sr. and Lucy Mack's log cabin was. She is not a Smith, but is an archaeology major at College of S. Utah in Cedar City. We sat and bonded over memories of the Whitings. Their branch of the family doesn't come to the Whiting reunion anymore. She can't even remember going, since she is only 20 years old. I shared information with her for her research about my great grandmother, Martha Ann Smith Harris. She was so excited.  So I went to the dig the next day and signed up to help. This is the last week so I am going on Monday. It looks like a lot of fun.  They found the southeast pillar of the home this week, and the stone walkway that went down to the Miss. River in front of their home.  It is just north of the Nauvoo House and across the street from Joseph Smith's Homestead house. They have also found many artifacts there like spoon, dish pieces, glasses, and more. They told me that in 2 years, 2016 they will begin the dig at the site of Hyrum Smith's home on Water Street by the river- just down from Joseph's home. We should all plan to be there. It is so exciting to be here around our ancestors homes.

     I must hurry and send this as we have to leave for one of our  shows.  We hope you are well and happy, and doing what you need to do to help "hasten the work". This is the Lord's church, and he needs all of us, especially as the times get harder! We love and miss you all. PLEASE PLEASE WRITE TO US! JUST ONCE A MONTH, at least, to keep us posted on your activities.

Love Elder and Sister Schultz

June 11, 2014-A new baby, a new baptism, a new calling, and a bee box

Dear Family and Friends:

It’s hard to believe 10 days have passed since we last wrote. We are so busy here, that the days pass quickly. First of all if you haven’t heard, Ben and Katie were blessed with a baby boy yesterday, June 10. He was so anxious to join their family,  that he was born in the car before they could get to the hospital. Ben had the privilege of “delivering the baby” himself. There were no complications, and both mother and baby are fine. His name is Jimmy Brett Schultz and weighed 7 lb 14 oz. Congratulations to Ben and Katie!

I am also excited to announce that the sister that came to Nauvoo from Burlington in May, named Zenta, is being baptized on Saturday! You may remember her in one of my letters. She was Catholic, and we bonded about the women’s garden. She called our mission office and asked someone to find “the nice sister who helped me in the visitors center that day, and invite her to the baptism.” I feel so honored that she has chosen to be baptized, and that I in some way helped her feel the spirit. We usually don’t hear about the results of people who come here to visit, so it is great to experience this with her.

This is Zenta

With the elders and young bishop and sisters who taught her

We received a new calling in addition to all our other responsibilities; the president asked us to be coordinators of the Public Affairs of the mission, specifically to be in charge of the Illinois State Fair. This is a huge invitation for Nauvoo to be acknowledged and honored by the state! It is held in Springfield, Illinois, home to Abraham Lincoln. They have asked us to put a program together for opening day, when the governor will be there. We will try and use the Nauvoo Brass Band and the Young Performing Missionaries to sing and dance. They want also for us to bring pioneer games and demonstrations because the theme is appreciating the past. We will have missionaries dressed in pioneer clothes to help with this. We are so excited to be involved with this important activity. 

In addition, we will also go out into the surrounding cities and represent the church and mission  to all the clubs, organizations, chambers of commerce, etc. We want to strengthen relationships with these people, and invite them to come to Nauvoo, so they can learn about this remarkable town, and the people (saints) who lived here. We tell visitors that the reason this place is so important in history is because it was the starting point of the biggest migration of people or pioneers to go across the plains; over 70,000  total went west over many years.  And that Brigham Young is known as the greatest colonizer of the American West.

Serving today in the post office with my friends Sister Curtis and Sister Nuttall

We had over a 600 people through the visitors center from 7 am until 1:30 when we left today. There was a busload of 50 nonmembers who came to Nauvoo to see what this place was all about. They had so much fun going on wagon and carriage rides, viewing the musical, “The Promise,” and visiting in the sites. People are amazed that there is no charge for any of it, and that there are so many volunteer missionaries. I personally took 2 couples around and explained why the saints were driven out of here by persecution. They had so many questions, and very interested. Many many families who came today told us it was their first visit.

With Sister Scott and Sister Curtis. Fun sisters and we are all neighbors. 
We live next door to each other.

Here I am serving at the Log Schoolhouse with Sister Barnum

Yesterday I had a tender experience in the Lyon Drug Store. A family of 7 came in; parents and five children. I didn’t pay too much attention to each person and just starting giving the tour. When I got to explaining the “bee box” which is a cute clever way they used to catch a bee to find their hive and get honey, I noticed their little daughter about 5 years old had her eyes closed. Then I realized she was blind and had a little white cane. She was in the back, and I asked her to come up and hold the box and feel and touch it. She just lit up and was so happy I involved her. I was so touched by this amazing family who already had five children, and were expecting number 6! What a challenge that mother and father must have. They were members from Kentucky, and had come to have their children experience Nauvoo, to strengthen their testimonies. That’s what I love about this mission. We meet such wonderful people from all over the country, and get to tell them the faith promoting stories of the saints who lived here.

We only serve in pioneer sites once a week so we don't get many pictures like these. They are from the Family Living Center.  Young Single Sisters-Sister Hansen and Sister Munro.

L to R: Sisters Dahle, Boyle, Tucket and me

My faith and testimony grow stronger every day. I thought I already had a strong foundation in the gospel, but I learn so much each day that builds and strengthens my testimony even more. I have grown to love these humble people who sacrificed so much. I love the Lord, and feel honored to represent him here on this mission. I am grateful for his atonement, and I understand that the way we can truly show our love for Him is to serve him and his children who are all around us.

We love you all so much, and are very grateful for your support and encouragement. It is hard to miss out on important events like births, baptisms, reunions, etc. but we know without a doubt this is where we are supposed to be, and that this mission call was inspired. Any of you who are becoming of age to serve either a fulltime youth mission, or a senior mission, please do it! Make it a priority, and plan for it. Don’t procrastinate. It is the most amazing experience you will ever have!

Love Elder and Sister Schultz